Page 86 of Witchbane
A window burst inward, a vampire having been thrown through it, landing at my feet in a bleeding and stunned heap. I stepped on it, digging my claws in as my mouth was already occupied with the wriggling and protesting form of Hugo. The vampire let out a squeal, however, this one was more filled with goo as his scream hurt my ears, and blood pooled around my claws like ice. I growled and lifted my foot to shake him off like the giant turd he was. Gross.
He landed with a thud a few feet away and stared up at me in horror.
Hugo made another noise. Perhaps a request for help, who knew. I shook him, making him sound more like one of those goofy dog toys with a squeaker in it. He shut up.
Carl leapt through the broken window, his wolf huge and covered in blood that I didn’t think was his. I could almost hear him snarking something like,again you’re dragging us into your shit storm?
At least he wasn’t at all alarmed by my kitsune form. I dropped Hugo at his feet, the vampire landing with a thud and a yelp. Carl took a few steps forward and dug claws into a whining vampire, then chuffed at me.
For a few seconds it felt like victory. All I needed was my mate back, and my baby in my arms for real. But Carl yelped and leapt back, something black and slug-like was wrapping itself around his paws, climbing up him like a dark ooze. I jumped for it, trying to pull it off, grab it with my teeth, talons or anything, but couldn’t get a grip.
Carl struggled, fighting and writhing, yelping in pain as it turned his fur black and froze his skin, changing him in mere seconds from the strong and powerful second of our pack, to a giant, mutatedHuntwolf.
His eyes were last to change, the terror in them making my heart hurt. I could feel him through the pack bond, frantically trying to cut his ties to the pack. But it wasn’t fast enough. His eyes turned glassy, dead, and I heard a dozen yelps and cries from outside, more of the pack falling prey to the rot as it spread through the pack bond.
Carl’s dead wolf looked at me, taking several steps forward even as I shuffled away. The cold, black ooze tried to take hold of me, only it kept slipping away, unable to find a grip. When Carl leapt, I rolled backward, taking half the wall of the house out with me and landing outside amidst the pack, all of them struggling against the dark ooze turning them into dead wolves, and vampires rising like the walking dead they were. All with an intent to kill me.
I did the only thing I could think to do in that moment—I turned and ran.
Chapter 24
Iwas always fucking running. I hated it. But there was one me against a mutated pack and a legion of vampires. I didn’t want to kill the wolves if I didn’t have to, so running was my next best option.
Thankfully once I’d run a ways, I began to recognize the area. Our sleepy little Washington town had far too much paranormal bullshit going on. It was a wonder the military hadn’t come in and picked us off. At that moment I could have used a trigger-happy brigade of police as long as they shot the vampires and not my wolves.
I covered the distance fast despite the wobbly pull of drugs still trying to grab hold of me. The kitsune’s stride was longer than the wolves’, and I’d always been fast. The wolves made little sound behind me, only their claws digging into trees or rocks echoed into the distance. A vague crunch of snow beneath their feet. Not like the normal wolf hunt when the pack played. The sound of their little huffs, snarls, and growls used to bother me, stirring up old fears. Now I would have welcomed it as it would have meant they were alive.
The pack bond seemed to be icing over. One by one it crept down each strand, and a moment of pain and terror faded into the dark emptiness of theHunt. The ice kept trying to grab me, latch on like the thorns had, but now it couldn’t seem to find a hold, and the heat pulsing from the kitsune’s pit of energy helped melt the ice. I pushed that warmth toward the bond, feeling it wrap the ties closest to me. I wasn’t sure who in that moment, but wished I could reach them all.
The bond between Liam and me was stretched, meaning he wasn’t close, and I wasn’t running in his direction, though I was headed home. Instinct pointed me toward the center of the pack, while I probably should have been running away, leading the threat in the opposite direction. I had to find a way to clear the pack of this slug, and stop the vampires. The wards would keep the vampires back, only I wasn’t sure they’d help against the wolves turned demon.
When I reached the first ward of the property, which I knew to be a pretty far distance from the house, I felt it roll over me. Almost like it was pausing and working to recognize me in my changed form. But it let me pass. It also let Carl pass a few seconds after me, for which I was dismayed.
I hoped the wards would give the wolves pause. I needed a minute to think and find a way to reverse the curse.
The second ward came and went, and I could see the house now. Lights on, looming large through the trees. There was a scattering of cars in the drive. A lot of the pack must have been visiting. And a couple of rentals.
Fuck. I’d forgotten my mom and Liam’s ex-wife had shown up. The rentals had to mean they were still there, right? This would be a shitty way for Liam’s ex to find out he was not an ordinary baker, the whole legion of vampires and demon wolves showing up on our doorstep a big tip-off.
There was one final ward before the actual wards on the house. As I crossed it, racing down the driveway, I sent out a pulse of my omega energy. A wave of calm power that echoed like a sonic heat wave.
I heard Carl stagger behind me, not stopping, but stumbling a little, having to work to keep his feet. And in front of me the door opened, Korissa standing there with wide eyes.
Fuck.
She stepped back, holding the door as though waiting for me to get to it so she could slam it closed. My kitsune didn’t terrify her at all, but theHuntwolves were another story. Carl barreled forward through the ward at the end of the drive, shaking off the pull of its magic like water. I veered left, terrified that if I led Carl to the house, he’d break the wall down. If the wards kept him out at all.
Carl slid in a turn to follow, leaping after me, but another wolf went sailing over my head. Not aHuntwolf, but a regular werewolf, still huge when compared to a normal wolf, but not nearly as large as the dark thing Carl had turned into. However, it slammed into Carl’s side with the force of a Mack Truck, both of them flying away and rolling in a snarling fight of claws and teeth.
Toby, my mind registered in an instant. Not only had he not changed into aHuntwolf, he was holding his own against Carl, second in the pack. I wasn’t sure it would last long. I sent another wave of energy in Toby’s direction and leapt onto the porch where Korissa still stood with wide eyes. I did a prancing dance to point her back inside. I could strengthen the wards. Keep even the wolves out if I had to. But a threshold barrier was a thousand times better against the vampires than any ward I could create. Korissa needed to stay inside.
I felt the first vampire hit the outermost ward. They’d run into it full tilt, likely unable to tell it was there since the wolves went right through it, which sent a ripple along the power. It had splattered a bit like a bug, the ward rolling, trying to absorb the impact. Wolves went through. I heard them coming.
My mother appeared behind Korissa, gaze focused in the distance. I yipped at her, demanding she act like a mother for once and protect the child of the house.
She grabbed Korissa’s arm and tugged her back. “Close the door.”
“But Seb…” Korissa protested. She waved to me, trying to get me inside the house. This rabble wanted me, and going in would only endanger them. I shook my head at them and pressed a paw into the wood at the edge of the porch, digging in claws. It took only a few seconds to add another layer of wards, wrapping the house in something resistant to the wolves, yet it wouldn’t keep them out forever.